This is a sculpture in Kimmeridge Bay by Sir Antony Gormley (one of five new ones in the UK, q.v.) This photo comes across to me brilliantly as a cloudspotter – if you google the sculpture and get a close up it is mere iron blocks, something else.

An elderly neighbour fell down her front step on to a tarmac path; she was not badly hurt but while we were waiting for the emergency services I stood behind her so that she could lean back against my legs. As I mentioned to her and her sister, the casualty was looking at the garage wall whilst I had a lovely view of the CH1 (*) type western sky on a balmy afternoon.

These birds were watching the pleasant skies of a setting sun. Don’t know what they are – we don’t (thanks CAS for adding the apostrophe) see starlings these days, jackdaws and blackbirds yes but not normally in such numbers

I don’t often hear the cackle and caw of a rookery. But outside my house a couple of days back I did at 1730 hours (sunset was 1749 hours). I looked up and there were several tens of birds swirling around for thirty seconds in a disorderly manner (unlike the precision of a murmuration) perhaps waiting for a few stragglers.

I wonder, could my picture above be of rooks? Too quiet, I suspect.

P.S. Small world indeed, Michael. Wicki tells me the F-15 has a radar made by Raytheon, and Raytheon it was who made the Amana fridge/freezer I bought in 11/96.